The present invention relates to a connector for connecting light-conductive fibers, and to a method of manufacturing such connector.
There are already known various connecting arrangements for connecting end portions of light-conductive fibers in which the relative positions of the cooperating end portions of the light-conductive fibers are adjusted so as to make the fibers coaxial with one another in such a manner that the respective cooperating end portions of the light-conductive fibers, such as glass fibers, are eccentrically accommodated in two eccentrically arranged asymmetrical bodies. When the cylindrical bodies are rotated, the two cooperating end portions of the fibers move along eccentric circular paths. When the positions of the end portions of the fibers are pre-adjusted to a sufficient extent, then these circular paths intersect, which means that the cores of the fibers can be precisely adjusted in positions with respect to one another, or centered. However, this known arrangement is disadvantageous in some respects. First of all, the connecting arrangement is relatively large, due to the eccentric arrangement of the fibers and of the cylindrical bodies. Moreover, the accurate support of the two cylindrical bodies, and especially the eccentrically arranged passages for accommodating the end portions of the fibers, result in high demands for precision in manufacturing the connecting arrangement. Furthermore, this connecting arrangement must be repeatedly adjusted at each disassembling and re-assembling of the connecting arrangement, with the object in mind to maximize the amount of energy transmitted through the light-conductive fibers. An optical testing signal is needed for adjusting the positions of the end portions of the light-conductive fibers, and it is also necessary to obtain data concerning the transmitted signal and the received signal. This means that the light-conductive fiber conductor which is to be connected at one location must be accessible at two other locations, that is the transmitting location for the test signal, and the receiving location therefor. In practice, the two other locations are the repeater stations located closest to the connecting location in both directions therefrom.
There is also already known a different connecting arrangement for connecting light-conductive fibers, which includes a housing equipped with adjusting arrangements each of which supports one end portion of a light-conductive fiber which is to be aligned with the other end portion of a different light-conductive fiber, the end portions of the fibers being received in the adjusting arrangement in roughly preadjusted positions. The adjusting arrangements are capable of centering the end portions of the light-conductive fibers, such as glass fibers, with respect to one another in that at least a section of the end portion of one of the light-conductive fibers is supported in its associated adjusting arrangement in an elastically deformable body, which body can be elastically deformed by an outer pressure exerted thereupon by an adjustable pressure element so that the end portion of the fiber embedded therein is displaced relative to the other end portion. In order to be able to accurately adjust the positions of the end portions of the fibers, a reduction transmission may be interposed between the housing and the pressure element. However, even this arrangement is possessed of similar disadvantages as those mentioned above; especially, the connecting arrangement must be readjusted after each disassembling and reassembling operation, and it is also relatively bulky, and it further necessitates access to the two locations for transmission of the test signal through the conductor line, and monitoring of the test signal.